Upon approaching First United Methodist Church in Bella Vista, visitors are greeted by three boxes -- a blessings box, a library box and a flag retirement box, that were recently added.
The blessings box is an outdoor pantry where community members in need of food can come and take what they need. Church members are working to keep the box stocked with food, and anyone may donate to the pantry.
The Rev. Jeanne Williams said the blessings box was a joint project between the youth group, United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men.
"It was definitely a felt need in the community," she said.
The women's group funded it, the men's group built it and the youth painted it, she said. It was "an organic project," as both the United Methodist Women and the youth group had the idea to do it at the same time, she said. The entire church has responded in the effort to keep the pantry stocked, and there is also a fund church members can donate to, she added.
Art Lawless, president of the United Methodist Men, said, "There's a definite need in our area. It's take what you need and leave what you can."
He said he looked for someone who had the skill and the knowledge to build the box, and United Methodist Men member John Justice stepped up. They worked on the project together.
He also noted that the flag retirement box is for old American flags.
"A lot of people don't know what to do with old flags," he said. The local BSA Troop holds a ceremony periodically in which the flags are retired with honor, he added.
"Jon Mendoza's group built the flag box and library," he said. "It's out there, it's being well used. People contribute food or money toward food."
Jon Mendoza works with the BSA Troop. He said the library box was an Eagle Scout project -- the troop's first girl Eagle Scout. Her name is Chloe Light, and she could not be reached for an interview by press time.
"She had been working on getting her project and had a love for books as well," he said. Seven or eight scouts helped with the library.
The idea behind the library box is that it holds books that people may borrow and return.
Renee Van Dyke works with the youth at the church, and they painted the blessings box.
"They had a lot of fun," she said. "I painted the back first and gave them the color palette."
The back of the box is a mural with the loaves and fishes from the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14, she said.
One of the students painted on one side a creation scene "to remind us that God renews us and every day is a new day," Van Dyke said. Another one painted the other side with a theme about being yourself and being authentic. A third student painted the front and painted the words, "Take what you need, donate what you can." Two other students painted the legs.
Van Dyke said the United Methodist Men thought the box looked good.
"That really empowered those young people that, 'We are a part of the church,'" she said.
Rachel Dickerson/The Weekly Vista On the back of the blessings box at First United Methodist Church, a mural depicts the loaves and fishes from the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14.